Michel-Pierre Barreaut

Michel-Pierre Barreaut was a soldier of the Marine Francaise.

Biography
Barreaut was a captain of the French Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars who fought in the West Indies against the Royal Navy of Great Britain and the United States' US Navy in the 1790s. He commanded Insurgente, a frigate of the French navy, and captured USS Retaliation (formerly French ship La Croyable). In 1799 L'Insurgente was captured by USS Constellation, and Barreaut believed that he attacked a British ship rather than an American; he exclaimed "but Sir! Our countries are not at war!" to boarding Captain Thomas Truxtun of Constellation, who responded "By God we should be!".